Belarusian KGB alleged to be behind recruitment scheme in Poland

In a report on Russian hybrid attacks against Poland, Polish defence and security website Defence24 says Russian and Belarusian intelligence services are increasingly using people with no previous intelligence experience. According to the website, recruitment may begin with simple, well-paid tasks before progressing to reconnaissance of infrastructure, intelligence gathering or sabotage. Defence24 cites the publication Nasha Niva. The claim rests on a single reporting chain, and Flank had found no independent confirmation at the time of publication. The date given is the publication date, not an established start date for the alleged operation.

Leaflets in Warsaw and Poznań as an initial task

According to Defence24, the initial task involves printing and distributing between 10 and 100 leaflets for one euro each. The website describes material bearing Poland’s national coat of arms and the Warsaw skyline, setting out “rules for safe behaviour in the event of occupation”. The recommendations reportedly included not photographing military equipment, blocking roads or obstructing military convoys.

After completing the task, participants were reportedly offered assignments to photograph specific sites and carry out other, unspecified activities, Defence24 writes. The website cites payments of €150 to €1,400 for individual tasks, with payment possible through the Wise service or directly to payment cards. It is unclear how this range relates to the separately described payment for the leaflets.

Initial tasks as a test of willingness to cooperate

Defence24 views the initial task as a way for the recruiter to check whether a person is willing to follow instructions, obtain personal information about them and gradually assign them more sensitive tasks. In the website’s assessment, payment transactions may also reveal information about the participant that could subsequently be used to exert pressure. This is a description of a risk, not evidence that blackmail has taken place.

The military significance of the claims depends on which sites were targeted and whether they were actually photographed. Although Defence24’s headline refers to military sites, the published details do not establish which sites these were. The content of the leaflets alone does not prove preparations for an occupation or an imminent military operation.

Who is behind the scheme and which tasks were completed remain unconfirmed

It remains unclear what the attribution of the scheme to the Belarusian KGB is based on, how many people were recruited and which tasks they actually completed. Verification requires Nasha Niva’s original publication and the evidence it contains, verifiable correspondence or payment information, and any documents from the relevant Polish authorities. For now, the account allows the alleged mechanism to be examined, but not treated as an established intelligence operation.